Mangalore/Mumbai/Kasargod, May 23 (IANS) A day after the Mangalore air crash claimed 158 lives, the Air India Sunday defended its pilots, asserting they were experianced and well rested, as the shocked families, many of them from Kerala, went through the painful task of identifying their loved ones and conducting their last rites.

At least 146 bodies, mostly charred beyond recognition, were identified by the families by Sunday evening, Air India chairman-cum-managing director Arvind Jadhav said in Mangalore.

Emotional scenes were witnessed at the Government Wenlock Hospital in Mangalore as grieving relatives and friends went through the traumatic experience of having to pick their lost loved ones from the scores of badly burnt bodies.

For the kin of about a dozen victims, however, the agonising wait may be longer as DNA tests will be necessary to establish their identity.

"We are hopeful another seven to eight bodies will be identified by the family members while DNA test may become necessary to identify around 20 victims," Deputy Superintendent of Police (Mangalore) R. Rajesh said.

All the victims were Indians working or settled in the Gulf. Among the dead were 19 children and four infants.

There were just eight survivors, who were either thrown out or jumped out from the burning wreckage in one of the worse tragedies in Indian aviation history. All eight are said to be out of danger.

In Government Wenlock hospital, most of the victims' relatives were too numbed to talk and preferred to be left alone to grieve.

The Air India Express IX 812 Dubai-Mangalore flight overshot the runway Saturday morning while landing at the Bajpe airport, about 20 km from Mangalore, and burst into flames after plunging about 300 metres off a cliff.

Jhadav, however, maintained that both the pilots were highly experieanced with thousands of flying hours behind them.

Freinds and relatives carry the coffin of crash victim Roselin, followed by the coffins of her two daughters Godline and Gloria

Anil (C), father of Tejal Kamolkar, a member of the cabin crew of the crashed Air India Express plane, performs rituals during his daughter's cremation on the outskirts Mumbai

The mother of co-pilot Captain H S Ahluwalia, right, who died in the Air India Express plane crash in Mangalore, reacts during his funeral in Mumbai

Relatives receive the body of Abdul Rehman who died in Mangalore Air Crash in Chikmagalur

Asked if the crash could have been caused by pilot fatigue, Jhadav sad: "No...both were well-rested. We had very nice aircrafts and well-qualified experienced pilots."

As an air crash, specially one involving international flights, entails questions of insurance and compensation for huge amounts by international insurers, the speculative reports pinning the blame on one or the other would undermine the victims' interest, Jadhav said.

"All these speculations will only hurt the victims, their relatives and the survivors in terms of getting justice for them and in terms of getting compensation for them."

The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in a statement said the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and a part of the black box containing the digital flight data acquisition unit (DFDAU) of the plane were handed over to it by the search party.

Neighbouring Kerala mourned death of 66 Malayalis in the crash.

In Kasargod and Kannur, the two northern districts of the state Kerala, 30 funerals took place Sunday morning.

Of the 66 victims, 54 have been identified.

Pareppu, a small village in Kasargod was witness to seven funerals.

One of the tragic tales is of 46-year-old Abdul Samad from Kannur. He was coming from Dubai to see his wife and children after three years. He was in Dubai for 18 years.

"He was supposed to come for his vacation last week. For some reason he postponed his trip by a week. His wife and kids were at the arrival lounge when the aircraft burst into flames," Samad's relative told IANS from Kannur.

Shibhu, an IT professional, saw off his wife Rosili and two kids aged six and ninein Dubai after their vacation. Back home, people are now waiting for him to come for their funeral.

"We are all waiting for Shibhu. Rosili's parents have now been told of the tragedy," said one of Rosili's relatives.

Most expats in northern districts of Kerala prefer Mangalore international airport in Karnataka to Kozhikode as it is closer home.

In Mumbai, an Air India spokesperson said Special Assistance Team and Angels of Air India members have been assigned to assist each of the survivors and families of victims in all possible ways.

The airline will also operate additional special flights to ferry families of the victims to Mangalore, the spokesman said.

Air India's general manager Harpreet A.D. Singh, who is the emergency coordinator, said relatives of the victims coming from abroad will get three-days interim visas with the help of central government.

DGCA begins crash probe, finds voice recorder, data unit

Mangalore, May 23 (IANS) The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) late Sunday began investigating the crash of the Air India Express Boeing 737-800 (VT-AXV) after the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and a part of the black box containing the digital flight data acquisition unit (DFDAU) were handed over to it by the search party.

"The aircraft's CVR has been recovered. Though affected by fire, it is expected to yield the desired information," the regulator said in a statement here.

Though DFDAU, a parallel unit of the digital flight data recorder (DFDR), which records flight parameter for shorter duration has also been recovered, search for the latter (DFDR) is continuing," the statement pointed out.

The DGCA appointed Air Safety director Bir Singh Rai as an inspector of accidents to assist the investigation team and experts.

"Analysis of CVR and flight data will be conducted in the next fortnight. Similarly, analysis of records pertaining to the crash will take a couple of weeks," a probe official told IANS, citing the statement.

The DGCA will send the CVR and the black box to the probe team after recovering the flight data recorder by Monday.

The probe team inspected the aircraft wreckage at the crash site, runway and adjoining area of the Bajpe airport, about 20 km from this coastal city.

For ascertaining the causes behind the air mishap, which claimed 158 lives, the investigation team has formed four groups -- engineering and wreckage group, operations group, air traffic control group and aerodrome group.

The wreckage group has been split into two-three sub-teams to search for various evidence.

"Preliminary replay of air traffic control (ATC) tapes has been carried out along with analysis of the conversation between the ATC and pilots -- captain Zlotka Glusica, who was commanding the aircraft, and co-pilot captain H.S. Ahluwalia," the official said.

The teams have completed preliminary investigation of navigational, aerodrome and runway facilities that were in use when the aircraft coming from Dubai overshot the tabletop runway while landing and plunged into the gorge to a fiery crash.

Similarly, records pertaining to the aircraft and air crew such as engineering, operations, training, ATC, fire fighting and allied services have been collected for analysis.

Families mourn death of co-pilot, air hostess

Mumbai, May 23 (IANS) The bodies of co-pilot H.S. Ahluwalia and air hostess Tejal Kamulkar of the Air India Express aircraft, which crashed at Mangalore airport Saturday, were brought here late Sunday evening.

Grief-stricken families of the two crew members were present at the airport to receive the bodies.

A crowd of more than 200 people had gathered near Kamulkar's residence in Dombivali town of Thane district. Amongst the crowd were friends, relatives and neighbours of the air hostess.

"With the news of Tejal's death appearing in newspapers today (Sunday), we all knew of the tragedy and have come here to support the family," said Kamulkar's neighbour.

While Tejal's mother Bharti was crying constantly, her brother Gaurav, 22, a final year engineering student was distraught with agony. "I don't know what to do without her," was all he could say in between sobs.

But he steeled himself and went for Tejal's cremation so that he could get a last glimpse of his elder sister.

Childhood friend and neighbour, Pradnya Lele said Tejal had become an example for the neighbourhood girls when she was recruited as air hostess in Air India.

"Tejal was proud of the fact that she fulfilled her dream of becoming an air hostess. In this neighbourhood where people hardly fly, becoming an air hostess was talked about highly," said Lele.

There were similar scenes at 41-year-old Ahluwalia's residence in suburban Andheri. Ahluwalia was serving as a co-pilot for 15 years.

"I have flown with Ahluwalia on a few occasions and his loss will be felt in the entire pilot fraternity," Girish Kaushik, a senior Jet Airways pilot, told mediapersons here.

Air hostess Sujata Survase, who was also killed in the crash, was also from Andheri. Her body has not yet been brought here.

Kerala to pay Rs.3 lakh each for its 46 crash victims

Mangalore/Thiruvananthapuram, May 23 (IANS) The Kerala government Sunday announced a compensation of Rs.3 lakh each for all the 46 people from the state who perished in Saturday's air crash in Mangalore.

The office of Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan made this announcement.

Of the 159 people killed in the crash, 46 were from Kerala. Of these, 38 bodies have been identified. Funerals of 31 victims were conducted in Kerala's Kannur and Kasargode districts Sunday.

Relatives of eight other crash victims from Kerala are waiting in Mangalore to identify the bodies.

The Air India IX 812 Dubai-Mangalore flight overshot the runway while landing at the Bajpe airport, about 20 km from here, early Saturday and caught fire after plunging about 300 metres off a cliff.

All passengers were Indians, many returning home from Dubai where they worked.

M'lore: Aircraft pilots were experienced, well-rested: AI chief

Air India Sunday asserted that the pilot and co-pilot of its Boeing 737 aircraft which crashed and killed 158 people, including the two pilots and four crew members, Saturday here were experienced and well-rested.

"No, both were well-rested," Air India chairman and managing director Arvind Jadhav said in response to a question on whether pilot fatigue caused the crash, one of the worst aviation disasters in the country in a decade.

Flight commander Z. Glusica, a British national of Serbian origin, and co-pilot H.S. Ahluwalia had three-and-a-half days of rest prior to flying the Boeing 737, flight IX 812, from Dubai to Mangalore, Jadhav told a press conference here.

Jadhav said Glusica had 19 landings in Mangalore and had over 9,000 hours of flying experience while Ahluwalia had over 3,700 hours of flying experience.

"I cannot ask for a better pilot than Ahluwalia," the Air India head said, adding he was due for commandership in one month.

On Mangalore airport being a difficult one for landing, Jadhav said Indian Airlines, which has now merged with Air India, had been operating the flights from the airport for the last 15 to 20 years. Also Mangalore was not the only airport on Western Ghats; there were Goa and Kozhikode airports too.

He denied any norms of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) were violated by either Air India or the pilots of the crashed aircraft. There are strict DGCA norms of flying for airports like Mangalore and these were followed, Jadhav said.

He said Air India would give Rs.10 lakh each to the families of those aged 12 years and above killed in the crash, and Rs.5 lakh to those below 12. This is an interim monetary relief pending the finalisation of full compensation, he said.

He also said that Rs.200,000 will be given to each injured in the crash.

"This (the compensation) is over and above the ex gratia relief announced by Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh)," Jadhav said.

He said the interim relief was decided after Air India held talks with an insurance company. "Finalising the rest of the compensation will take time and that compensation will be adjusted with the interim compensation," he noted.

The Air India chief managing director said that any dispute related to claiming of the compensation will be settled with the local administration.

Jadhav appealed to the media to observe restraint and not speculate about the causes that led to the IX 812 to crash.

"Speculations will hinder (the compensation process). It will have international ramifications. This is a tragic incident," he said.

Asked about the initial probe report if any, Jadhav said he was here to attend to the families of the victims and ensure they get proper response from the airline.

"I have interacted with the injured. We have a response team and they will act as counsellors. My heart goes out to them (families of the victims)," he added.

Jadhav profusely thanked people of the villages near the crash site for rushing to help in the rescue operation. Air India has a very small staff of 10 or 12 people in Mangalore. "We are overwhelmed by the people's response. Young doctors, students, NGOs all came forward to help," he noted.

Jadhav said counseling centres were being set up at all offices of Air India Express as the staff too needed help to get over the shock and trauma from the tragedy.

I would like to give thanks to Miss Violet pereira - Mangalorean.com for her day & night social service & sacrifice for the victims.
I saw in my eyes & as a witness i express my comments on her that, she is an angel, lamp of all Mangaloreans, good & best media supporter for all tragic people in mangalore.
Appreciating her - all kind of activities in society, she is really capable as Mangalorean Kiran bedi.
She is good & best composer, photograper, media - supporter in our beloved Mangalore.
Thanks a lot my dear Violet Indeed Iam grateful.
Please contest as MLA ellection in karnataka, we need people like you as leader to rule & serve in our society.

Lancy noronha
E-mail - noronhalancy@yahoo.com

praveen d souza bantwal sajipanadu dubai, India

Jun 28, 2010

May 24, 2010
This is the dead end for Bajpe airport. I am a Mangalorean and I’ll never fly to and from this airport again. Existing airport should now be used only for domestic flights that too only to land smaller planes. Work on new airport should be started soon keeping in mind the future needs of Mangalore city.

praveen d souza, India

Jun 28, 2010

tihs is really heart touching its bad.

Mangalamma A P, India

Jun 8, 2010

Really its too bad... this accident really heart touching.

Kiran, USA

May 28, 2010

Along with my condolences for the great loss, I would like to thank mangalorean.com for their excellent coverage.

kaleem bolar, UAE

May 25, 2010

i think it is right time to re think about shifting interational airport to new place called "KONAGE" if i am not wrong i heard some of the place already acquired by the karnataka Govt and it it golden opportunities to expand our NH High way & Railway and port in mangalore which can link to north and south dakshinakannada so our greater DK will flourish like great business center as Dubai & Hongkong.

Joel Saldanha, UAE

May 25, 2010

Thank-you Anand Dsilva for sharing my thoughts.

The fact is clear that only if the scenario is picture perfect, landing at Bajpe Airport will not end in a calamity.

We NRIs should all take an oath that no International Travel (whether through AIX or any other provider) will be taken up or encouraged till Bajpe Airport is considered "SAFE" in all operational aspects. This includes Crisis Management in unforeseen circumstances as well.

If the enquiry commission even remotely suggests a technical fault in the airplane, I personally suggest boycotting AI al together.

Only if we react like this will there be actions taken.

tarique, India

May 25, 2010

Hey I think Anil must not do that before only he was burnt why cant he be buried in the soil......

Sudhir, India

May 24, 2010

This is the dead end for Bajpe airport. I am a Mangalorean and I’ll never fly to and from this airport again. Existing airport should now be used only for domestic flights that too only to land smaller planes. Work on new airport should be started soon keeping in mind the future needs of Mangalore city.

Samsha Belthangadi, India

May 24, 2010

Hearty condolence to everyone...May god help the people of Mangalore and Kasargod to recover from this tragedy.

olwin pereira, Canada

May 24, 2010

jayaprakash devadiga (J.P)
-------------------
I had no clue you were an apple of their eye. I cant digest the way my brothers and my mom, mourn your eternal journey-- hope to see you in gods kingdom

Rahul, India

May 24, 2010

Here are the facts and a possible reason.

A Boeing 737 with a maximum landing weight requires 6,000-ft of runway for landing. For take off too, it requires 6,000 feet but that is based on several factors such as weight, wind, temperature and runway conditions.

“Mangalore airport has a 8,000-ft-long runway. The pilots of that plane may not have had sufficient landing distance if they touched down late with high speed,’’ he said.

Although it is possible to take off even after the wheels touch down the procedure is difficult and is carried out usually during training flights.

This is because the plane’s auto brakes and speed brakes get deployed immediately. To quote a senior commander - “It is not recommended to do a go around if the plane’s deceleration procedures have been initiated’’.

So, if the AI plane had already overshot the Landing zone and 25% of the runway was lost and the very fact that the airport has a short landing strip - the "go around" should not have been tried at all - because when landing the pilots may have also tried to slow down the engines - thus reducing chances of a take off again, but unfortunately a re take off was tried and now the tower or light pole hit the wing further sealing the destiny.

There is another important question - were the tyres and braking systems checked while leaving Dubai? It seems the tyres and breaking systems of Air India are always faulty and Delhi and Mumbai always has a lot of "emergency landings" especially for Air India flights.

This is really an early warning call for Air India to improve its safety procedures because even a small pilot fault can be tragic.

God bless the families and may their light shine upon us and provide us with a better India.

Anand Dsilva, UAE

May 24, 2010

Mr Joel Saldanha, one of the most valid comments I have ever read. Infact, when international flight first landed I remember a cartoon showing the plane falling off the valley.

We all wanted Bajpe airport to become international and we lobbied whatever way possible until it became operational. We patronised the airport as passengers and now we put the blame on others. Collectively we all are responsible as anybody else. Inspite, the authorities in charge would have taken necessary precautions for eventualities like this.

The same way like some buses plying on mountainous highways without barriers and suddenly we find the bus falls into a valley and then starts the blame game.

alison dubai, UAE

May 24, 2010

INNA LILLAHI WA INNA ILAIHI RAJIOON, dear all, please comment as a human being, dont trust on the man made things.... we came to this earth not for living for thousand of years, we came to short stay, as almighty send us to this world for to make good deeds, everyone has to taste death, but what i am praying to almighty is dont give this kind of death, we have to pray for all, may almighty allah bless them all, ameen

Della Rego, Qatar

May 24, 2010

Oh! my God, can't see the pictures of departed and the mourning family members as the eyes were filled with tears. Every one in the plane were anxious, full of new planning, hopes and above all meeting and staying with their loved one's for a month or more. All were happy when the plane landed in Mangalore airport and within few hours all were thinking that they will meet their family's. But fate changed the face of the happiness and anxiety as a result the unbelievable tragedy happened and all perished within a fraction of seconds. Oh! Lord give the strength and courage to all the families who have lost their loved one's and grant the eternal peace for all the departed souls. Lord, Protect and guard everyone as such things never ever should happen in any one's life. Amen.

B.Ganesh Bhat, India

May 24, 2010

Heart rendering scenes indeed! Such big tragedies should not occur anywhere. Many precious lives have been lost and many young buds with great future and aspirations have been mercilessly terminated by fate!
May God rest the souls in peace. May God give strength to all of us to face the tragedy.
I very much dislike the tragedy getting tagged on to the fair and beautiful name of our dear Mangaluru.
A word of appreciation to the villagers of Bajpe and the people of Mangalore who worked tirelessly to retrieve the dead bodies and provide succour to the wounds of the relatives of the dead.
I also appreciate the timely help rendered by the staff of AI to help the relatives of the victims. Mr. Anil Jadhav appears to be a noble man who is striving to help his customers. y God bless them with all good things in life and strength to serve others in distress.

Joel Saldanha, UAE

May 24, 2010

The discussion on perils of having the Bajpe Airport in its current state is as old as folklore. Older members of my family who travelled from the ME way back in the 80s, spoke of all that is now being discussed after this calamity. At that time we dint have Boeings of this size landing at Bajpe, but the fear had already set in.

It is our mindset to not foresee anything. JUST MANAGE THINGS WITH BARE MINIMUMS. The Mumbai City Railways is another ticking bomb with no SAFETY whatsoever.

When will our administration start foreseeing events rather than be satisfied with immediate "Chaltha Hai" solutions??? A few thoughts:

- Just because a BOEING 737-800 can land once with a space of 7000feet does not make the standard design of the runway 7000 feet.
- Considering the topography, a lot and I mean LOT of tolerances should have been considered.
- Why is the additional distance after the runway as low as 90meters (which proves to be inadequate)?
- Even after the plane overshot the runway, how well was the crisis management team trained to handle a rescue mission in the valley below the airport???
- Why is there no patrol along the length of the runway at all times which can initiate rescue procedures in such circumstances?

We NRIs are partly reponsible for what has happened since we pushed the administration to prepare Bajpe for us with whatever resources it can lay its hands on.

SAFETY and RESPECT to HUMAN LIFE is the utmost priority above all else.

Shaly Pereira, India

May 24, 2010

Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs…….death the greatest leveller has united them all in their grief.

May God be the strength and refuge of all these grieving families. Our hearts mourn with them.

The people of Kenjar and surrounding villages are the real heroes in this tragedy. They could have done much more if only the fire engines and ambulances had arrived in time. Many of them said they were impeded by the flames and could not go nearer to try and save anyone.

Be it accidents or natural calamities the safety standards in India are nil. Our governments wait for disasters to happen to instal safety measures. By then, the citizens would have already paid a very heavy price.

V Prabhu, India

May 24, 2010

Here are some points I read from this article in Times Of India commenting about the air crash and the response of the highest officials of AAI.

"After a crash, if the pilot is alive, nail him. If he is dead, blame him,"

After the crash, the chairman of AAI went on record to say that the Mangalore runway and the airport met International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards.

This comment about the runway is misleading and I hope if an international team of experts were to visit and assess the same , then the credebility of AAI will be questionable.

I don't think blaming the length of the runway will help. We need to thoroughly investigate the recordings of black box and then come to any conclusion.

Joyce Alvares, Qatar

May 24, 2010

My heart bleeds and tears roll down when I look at the pictures of the inconsolable family members. May the God grant them strength and fortitude during this difficult period.

B Bhat Mangalore, India

May 23, 2010

Hearty condolences to every family who lost their dearest and nearest. I was surprised to see the number of elected officials who came from Kerala after the news came out. Central Ministers, State Ministers, MPs, MLAs and other political leaders from Kerala easily outnumbered our elected officials. It was the same thing with media and other support services. Even though we criticize the over influence of Keralites in Mangalore, we sometimes need to learn the attachment and hard work they are showing compared to us....Just a thought....

ac, USA

May 23, 2010

it seems prima facie, if pilots were experienced and rested, and plane was new with no report of malfunction at landing clearnce, runway new with good friction quotient, and winds calm, vis 6km, and in news that atc told pilot of overshoot and pilot exclaimed about in surprise, only plausible thought that comes to mind is bad calibration of ils navigational aid since this was an ils approach, obviously the best conclusion would be from cvr and fdr analysis.

MUMTAZ HUSSAIN, Qatar

May 23, 2010

My condolence to families of passengers died in ill fated AI air craft that crashed during landing.
All authorities and responsible persons from AI and airport authority say:
1. Air port runway is standard one and granted approval from apt authority for landing and operational since 2007
2. AI air craft BOING 737- 800 is inducted into service from 2007 and considered as new
3. Pilot and co-pilot are well experienced, in particular pilot had 19 times landed air craft in Mangalore run way
Well when all conditions are good what went wrong?????????
It is reported that pilot over shot the run way by 2000 feet, hence it is pilot error.
So if the pilot did error what is the solution??????????

If the runway is length is about 12,000 feet as in other airports in India or other parts of world the pilot could have tried to stop by over stretched runway or he could HAVE try to turn about the AFTER SLOW DOWN THE aircraft like what happened in HUNDOURAS AIRPORT in May 2008

BUT dear friends, in Mangalore apt run way to overcome the such over shot landing is next to IMPOSSIBLE because there is no space in length wise and widthwise. There is no alternative but to fell into valley AND EXPLODE.

The expansion of run way is impossible because there is no land available.
Can any minister or bureaucrat dare to announce this fact??????????

TO OVERCOME PILOT ERROR IS IMPOSSIBLE IN EXISTING RUNWAY. WE PRAY SUCH UNFORTNATE ACCIDENT SHALL NOT HAPPEN IN FUTURE BUT AUTHORITIES SHOULD THINK OF ALTERNATIVE PLACE FOR MANGALORE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. FROM THIS INCIDENT NO INTERNATIONAL AVAITION COMPANY WOULD READY FLY MANGALORE.

M.Bhat, Udupi, UAE

May 23, 2010

One side they are telling pilots are well exprienced, and again they express that this is incident because of human errors. Any how unbelieveable shocking accident already happened. Let us look for the future, take extra precausions to fill the gap where we short of. To tell the fact I am also a regular passanger of this sector.

May God give courage to the families those who lost their dear and nearest.

Anwar, India

May 23, 2010

The very least people expected Air India to do was arrange for the loved ones to go to Mangalore at the earliest and treat them with respect. Alas, true to it's reputation, the airline made all relatives wait for an entire day in Dubai after promising to transport them to Mangalore, and by all reports, did not treat them well either. Looks like a tragedy of this nature too has not shaken their attitude towards ordinary people. May the lord grant peace to all those who died in this tragedy. My sincere condolences.

Anil, India

May 23, 2010

Mangalore airport needs Cat IIIA ILS (autoland system) like the other small international airports in the world.

Whichever pilot/airline needs to land in Mangalore needs to be sufficiently certified to use the advanced equipment too.